GETTING STARTED
2. SECURING RESOURCES
A youth council does not need to be an
expensive endeavor, but consider the
following possible expenses while planning.
Food at youth council meetings (especially
evening meetings).
Youth compensation.
• This does not need to be monetary, but
can be if dollars are available. Some youth
councils consider membership a job and pay
up to $12 per hour. Emphasize the importance
of community work when considering
compensation.
• Non-monetary compensation may include
educational credit hours for being a
member, community service hours, letters
of recommendation, college essay/resume/
scholarship application coaching, etc.
Marketing resources and supplies.
• Including printing costs, creation of videos, etc.
• Incentives to gather community input, increase
focus group participation, solicit student survey
participation, etc.
• Implementation dollars for youth-proposed
projects.
Consider the following resources for support
to cover expenses:
• Local grants
• District wellness initiative donations
• Community businesses
• PTA/PTOs
• Family support
• Fundraisers
• When asking for donations, start with
smaller businesses that have ties to your
community or that work with or employ
youth. Think about businesses that might be
interested in reaching your audience. Large
companies often have a formal process to
request donations and sponsorships and
are looking for larger-scale exposure at a
higher dollar amount.
• Be specific about your request and offer
something in return.
• It’s often easier to receive items in-kind
than money (materials, food, etc.). If you ask
for financial donations, have specific levels
and benefits for businesses to consider.
For example, donating $50 a year may get
them mentioned in a publicly distributed
thank-you email or other communication.
For $100 they might have their logo on
materials that are widely distributed. Think
about how your request can help them
market their business? Consider social
media as a resource for benefits. Avoid
saying something like, “anything you can
offer would help,” unless they simply cannot
afford the lowest tier contribution.
• A sponsor is someone who contributes at
a higher level or funds a specific project
or event. Think about one or two benefits
that you can give a sponsor that are extra
special for their business. The sponsorship
should be perceived as a coveted, honored
opportunity. Also, do not seek sponsors and
donors from the same types of business, as
a business will want to stand out from their
competition by supporting you.
• Make sure they know what your council
does and how their donation will help. Make
it personal.
FIND RESOURCES ONLINE AT
KP.ORG/ARTSINTEGRATEDRESOURCES
8
• Letters and emails are easy to discard. Try
calling or visiting a business and asking who
you can speak to about supporting youth in
their local community.
CREATING YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCILS